Momentum chief Jon Lansman today quit the race to be Labour’s next top official amid fears of a damaging fight against Unite’s Jennie Formby.
Mr Lansman, who founded the support group which propelled Jeremy Corbyn to the Labour leadership, insisted he had achieved his goals by standing for the post.
Nominations for general secretary close later this week and Mr Lansman pulling out will ease fears among Labour’s left-wing the contest would have been divisive.
Momentum going head to head with the Unite union risked causing the first splits in the Labour left since it propelled Mr Corbyn to victory in two leadership contests.
Momentum chief Jon Lansman today quit the race to be Labour’s next top official amid fears of a damaging fight against Unite’s Jennie Formby
Mr Lansman, who founded the support group which propelled Jeremy Corbyn to the Labour leadership, insisted he had achieved his goals by standing for the post
In a statement on Twitter, Mr Lansman said: ‘When I declared my interest in becoming Labour’s general secretary my aims were to open up the contest, instigate a debate about how the Labour Party can develop and encourage those of our 570,000 members who believe they have the skills and experience to apply.
‘We must draw a clear line between our renewed and reinvigorated mass-membership party and previous eras of command and control – where the views of members and affiliates alike were too often ignored, party conference over-ruled and and the NEC disrepected.
‘With my aims fulfilled I have decided to step back from the race to focus on my role on the the NEC, working with members and affiliates to to replace the old top-down model with modern, open and transparent, pluralist participative democracy.’
The contest had already caused a major row inside Labour this after Christine Shawcroft, a member of the NEC who backed Mr Lansman, said the rise of Ms Formby demonstrated the need for Labour to sever its trade union link.
Unite’s political director Jennie Formby is now the front runner in the race. She has been touted as having the backing of both Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell
The spat led to a bizarre statement from Mr Corbyn’s spokesman insisting the view was so niche it was not even held by Ms Shawcroft, as it had been deleted.
When Mr Lansman out of the race, Ms Formby is the firm favourite for the powerful post.
Unite’s political director has been touted as having the backing of both Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
Were she to win it would be another blow to moderates in Labour who were widely seen as having a crucial ally in the previous general secretary Mr McNicol.
He made a surprise announcement last month that he would leave the post after seven years.